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2017 Aggies Leading the Way! Undergraduate Leadership Conference

The 2017 Conference was held on Saturday, February 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., was free for all undergraduate students and open to students in all majors. With workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities, this event helped students reach their leadership potential and practice their professional skills!

Available presentations from the conference workshops are now available!

Conference Mission

This year’s conference theme is Level Up. All leaders experience moments of capping out and feeling as if they have plateaued. Learning how to adjust to new people and opportunities can maximize the need to expand our capacity and, at times, recognize that we many need to take few steps back before we can move on. Our theme of Level Up is designed to help conference participants rise to the challenge of taking their leadership to the next level that is right for them.

Through a variety of interactive workshops and large-group activities, we aim to help students:
1) level up their personal leadership,
2) engage with others on a new level, and
3) apply their leadership to different contexts.

Keynote Speaker: Ashley Good

As the founder of Fail Forward, ﻿Ashley believes that failing well is a critical skill on the journey to success. She is a popular Canadian speaker who provides workshops, consultations, and events to explore how failure can actually be beneficial to level up in your leadership process. She states on her website that failure can be a “learning tool and a culture driver to support and foster innovation.” Ashley has even developed a process for annual failure reporting, which organizations like Engineers without Borders Canada use to address and learn from their missteps each year.

Ashley firmly believes that talking about failure is a key part of achieving your goals. Leadership almost always entails failing, sometimes repeatedly, before achieving what you want. In order to level up, you often need to fail first. When situations demand that you take your leadership to the next level, it’s important to learn how failure can help you in the leadership process.

In addition to Ashley being our keynote speaker, she will also be hosting a workshop and closing the 2017 Undergraduate Leadership Conference.

Keynote Address

Courage to Try, Resilience to Fail

Taking leadership to the next level requires risk and trying something new. Sometimes, leaders fail in their attempt. The opening conference keynote focuses on shifting our perceptions of failure and uncovering the importance of challenging ourselves by illustrating the links between failure, learning and innovation, and actions and mindsets to foster smart risk taking. As a conference participant, you will experience a call to action – a kind of homework for the day – by doing something that makes you uncomfortable, trying something that frightens you, or is at the edge of you capacity. Some examples of how to challenge yourself throughout the day are:

Speak up and share a question or idea

Say “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand” instead of going along with the conversation

Ask a peer for feedback

Share a story of failure or acknowledge a weakness

Commit to stepping up and doing something truly challenging where success isn’t guaranteed

Support and encourage someone else who has failed to try again more wisely

Any other action that is uncomfortable, scary or at the edge of your capacities

Closing Plenary

﻿Next Steps to Level Up

Preparing to level up our leadership can seem
daunting and, at times, frightening. When committing to taking risks, we need it destigmatize failure and seek what we can learn and how to adapt. The conference’s closing plenary will focus on building a safe space to discuss failures openly and maximize the learning we gain from them. As a conference participant, you will learn how to turn the experience of failure on its head and walk away with tangible skills, insights, and actions that help you respond to failure well.

Main Conference Workshop Areas

Session 1: Leveling Up Your Personal Leadership (11:15a–12:30p)

Workshops in this session focus on helping students work at the edge of their comfort zones and skill set in preparation to advance their leadership.

Session 2: Engaging with Others on a New Level (1:30p–2:45p)

Workshops in this session focus on helping students motivate and support others to collectively transition to the next level.

Session 3: Applying Leadership to Different Contexts (2:50p–4:05p)

Workshops in this session will focus on a specific application or special topic of leadership, as it relates to leveling up our collective capacity for creating meaningful change. Workshops may address the transferability of leadership across different positional and non-positional situations or environments.

Workshop Descriptions

SESSION 1 | 11:15 - 12:30

Different colored LEGOs would represent many different salient identities that would include topics on education, sexuality, gender, spirituality, ethnicity, and many more. This will allow for participants to be able to build something that is meaningful to them through everyday objects such as LEGOs, let people interact with the material, and enable people to see their intersectionality within their identities. Through this workshop, people should come to the conclusion that others are composed of various identities that may not always be apparent.

Inspired by the Escape Room phenomenon, this presentation will challenge participants to think on their feet, work together in teams, struggle, and their success will all depend on one thing: GRIT. Grit is a multi-faceted topic whose many aspects work together to create a powerful drive that individuals use to pursue success and their long term goals. In this workshop, we will talk about grit, what aspects make up grit, and how we can incorporate some tips and tricks into our lives that will help us boost our success in the pursuit of our long term goals. So come enjoy a challenging, exciting workshop that will put your grit to the test!

This workshop is designed for participants who want to learn new self-growth techniques. Participants will be introduced to positive psychology and will learn how doing a simple two-minute exercise can help change their perspectives and the way in which they view their world. We will also discuss success and its relation to happiness and how manipulating this equation can lead to an increase in your intelligence, creativity and energy levels.

Do you prefer listening to others rather than speaking up in large groups? Favor working on your own to working in teams? Value innovating and creating ideas over time rather than diving right into a solution? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions you just might be a Quiet Leader. In a world that considers “good leaders” to be energetic, outgoing, charismatic, and bold, this workshop will examine the intricacies and strengths of leaders who are quiet, humble, modest, or reserved. Through small group discussions, journaling, and reflecting, participants will leave the workshop with a better understanding of how to be more confident in their unique leadership style.

Want to gain a better awareness of which Leadership House you truly belong in? Well, come let the Sorting Hat tell you where you belong! In this workshop, you will go through the leader sorting process by gaining a better understanding of your personal leadership attributes and others that share those attributes. You will then create your House’s own Leadership Shield that reflect your group’s common attributes and your group will be able to share them with other Houses. Through sharing you will learn best practices on how to work with others that have different leadership perspectives.

SESSION 2 | 1:30 - 2:45

Just got assigned a group project or became part of a new team and need tips on how to be most successful? Group relationships are the fundamentals to making teamwork a positive experience. Our workshop focuses on how to navigate the various stages of team building and mastering the art of working with others. You will learn the basics of team bonding in order to create the most effective teamwork practices to help in your future endeavors.

This session is designed to help students redefine failure by understanding and expanding their own perceptions and fear of failing. Participants will be guided in examining reasons for not taking risks, tapping into their more courageous natures, and identifying avenues where they can move forward through fear.

Statistics show that almost 60% of available positions are in the ‘Hidden Job Market’ and can only be accessed if you know the right people. Additionally, networking is a powerful tool once working in an organization to help you manage your career and ultimately get to the top! This workshop is all about the various steps to take in order to start and grow your network.

This workshop engages students to become more conscious leaders through tackling the concept of
privilege. In unpacking the system of privilege - the special rights and advantages granted to certain groups based on age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, and social class - students will learn how to identify manifestations of privilege in everyday settings and be equipped with tactics to address it. In doing so, students will enhance their efficacy as leaders, become more aware of their own identity, and be more conscious of how others identify in various environments.

This workshop will provide an introduction to the concept of Dialogue. It will include topics such as how Dialogue differs from other forms of communication such as Discussion and Debate and how and when to create a space for Dialogue. Additionally, we will specifically be focusing on the importance of strengthening dialogue skills such as active listening, sharing personal experiences instead of facts, and determining intent versus impact. Lastly, we will explore how the process of dialoguing can help build trust, respect, and empathy among individuals with varying perspectives. Exploring the differences between Dialogue, Debate, and Discussion will assist leaders to communicate as effectively as possible as they develop their leadership skills.

SESSION 3 | 2:50 - 4:05

Transferable Skills of Participating in an OrganizationKristin Dees
Ballroom A

Do you know how to speak or articulate how your experience outside the classroom will help you in your future path? Do you know what employers or graduate schools are looking for when interviewing regardless of academic discipline? Come learn how to map out your experiences outside of the classroom to transferable skills needed for internships, job interviews, and graduate school interviews.

Recent studies have shown that most people will change jobs at least 7-10 times during their working years. The world of work is more dynamic than ever and the skills of adaptability, curiosity, and resilience are essential in order to navigate this new (and constantly changing) economy as well as to develop personal growth. In this session, traditional thinking about a linear career planning process will be challenged and participants will gain awareness of a new framework for their career journey: happenstance learning theory. Through a combination of discussion, interactive exercises, and Road Trip Nation video stories, participants will be introduced to this theory’s concepts and how these can be integrated into how they approach their career and leadership development.

As leaders, we have a responsibility for others and the world around us. Effective leaders know what it means to be a part of something bigger than themselves. In addition, leaders recognize when and how to give of themselves for the benefit of the greater good. Through discussion, reflection, and small group activities, this workshop will help participants understand the meaning and behaviors of civic engagement, identify issues of concern that matter most to them, and explore avenues to pursue movements for change.

This workshop will center the experiences of queer, non-binary, trans, agender, gender non-conforming, and genderqueer folx in the “professional” environment. We will be discussing various forms of oppression, such as genderism, cis-sexism, and heterosexism, and how they shape current ideas of what professionalism is. We will also discuss the ways in which these forms of oppression intersect with race, ability, and class. Our workshop focuses on how professionalism has created a set of
unhealthy norms of gender expression that are exhibited in dress codes, productivity, bathrooms, personality, and emotionality. After unpacking the toxic roots of professionalism and its contributions in further perpetuating gender and sexuality based discrimination and violence in the workplace, we will explore meaningful ways we can interrupt this form of oppression.

Everyone came to this conference today with a goal. Now that you’ve attended two sessions about self and others, attend this session for the opportunity reflect on what you learned, engage with other conference participants on their learning, and create an action plan of how to apply the information to a context of your choosing. Students will also examine work environment culture and how that may impact their action plan.

Facilitator Biographies

SESSION 1 | 11:15 - 12:30

﻿﻿Maria BundangUndergraduate Student – Psychology Major and Education Minor, UC Davis Student Housing Maria Bundang is currently a third year psychology major with a minor in education. Maria has been working for student housing for two years. Her goal is to go into counseling or developmental psychology. One day, Maria hopes to become a professor.

﻿Deborah KaganUndergraduate Student – Communication Major, UC Davis Student Housing Deborah Kagan is currently a second year communication major. She also works for student housing as a resident advisor. Her goal is to become an attorney. A fun fact about Deborah is that she is a huge San Francisco Giants fan.

﻿Jamie AllenStudent Activities Coordinator, Center for Student Involvement Jaime Allen is a Student Activities Coordinator at the Center for Student Involvement here at UC Davis. In this role she advises international, academic, honorary, and performance based student organizations as they work to make their ideas and dreams happen. Previously, Jaime worked at the University of Southern California while earning her Masters of Education in Postsecondary Administration. Jaime became the first in her family to graduate from college when she attended UC Irvine. When not at work, Jaime is probably listening to a podcast and always open to listen to one you recommend.

﻿Leah GalassoResidential Education Coordinator, UC Davis Student Housing Leah Galasso is a Residential Education Coordinator with UC Davis Student Housing. In this role, Leah assists first-year students in their transition to campus, through 1:1 advising, workshops, and large-scale programs. Prior to joining the Davis Community, Leah worked at George Washington University while earning her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration. When not at work Leah enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, swimming, and practicing yoga. She also loves finding new shows to watch on Netflix, and now that The Gilmore Girls revival is over, she is looking for something else to watch. If you have any suggestions, let her know!

﻿Zach McLaughlinUndergraduate Student – Biopsychology Major and Coaching Principles Minor Zach McLaughlin is a third year Biopsych major with a minor in Coaching Principles. This is his second year being an RA for Student Housing and he loves working in the department. He has also been working closely with First Year Aggie Connections as a Peer Mentor. After Davis, Zach plans on going on to grad school to get a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and afterward plans on working with athletes/those working in law enforcement. When he is not at school or work, he is generally running, hanging out with friends or spending time in the Arboretum. Fun fact about Zach: every summer my friends and I get together to go down to Santa Cruz and camp down there for a week. It is a tradition we all look forward to year round!

﻿Dillan ChristensenUndergraduate Student – Aerospace Sciences and Engineering Major, UC Davis Student Housing Dillan Christensen is a third year Aerospace Sciences and Engineering major at UC Davis. Someday he hopes to work for an aerospace company designing aircraft or spacecraft or working on rocket propulsion. Dillan lives in the San Fernando Valley which is right above Los Angeles. He is a huge fan of beaches and sunny weather. Dillan is also a Resident Advisor for UC Davis Student Housing and this is his second year doing so. His is also a Peer Mentor for First Year Aggie Connections on campus that is focused on connecting first year students to campus as well as to one another. Dillan loves to build new friendships and learn from all the experiences others go through. One fun fact about him is that he has dual citizenship.

﻿Kristopher DisharoonService Learning Leadership Specialist/Analyst, Pioneers for ChangeCSU East Bay Center for Community Engagement My name is Kristopher Chad Disharoon and I received my BA in Film Studies from Western Carolina University and my MS in Higher Education Administration from Radford University. Most of my work has been in Housing and Residence Life and Student Activities. My areas of interest are student leadership, student engagement, and social justice work. A fun fact about me is that I love Spider-Man.

﻿Odisea Macias|Undergraduate Student – Communication Major and Managerial Economics Minor Odisea Macias is a senior Communication major and Managerial Economics minor. After graduation, wants to pursue a MBA at the UC Davis School of Management. Odisea is passionate about public speaking and wants to become a motivational speaker. She will one day give a TED Talk.

SESSION 2 | 1:30 - 2:45

﻿Marlene PicenoAggie AmbassadorUndergraduate Student – Textiles and Clothing Major, UC Davis College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Marlene Piceno is the Workshops Coordinator for Aggie Ambassadors and a fourth year Textiles and Clothing major. Aggie Ambassadors is a student leadership organization through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that provides students with the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills by participating in student panels, college workshops, and conducting tours around campus.

﻿Caitrin VadnaisAggie AmbassadorUndergraduate Student – Animal Science Major and Education Minor, UC Davis College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Caitrin Vadnais is a fourth year Animal Science major with a minor in Education, the President of Aggie Ambassadors and a peer advisor at the CA&ES Dean's office. Aggie Ambassadors is a student leadership organization through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that provides students with the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills by participating in student panels, college workshops, and conducting tours around campus.

﻿Ruby VictoriaAggie AmbassadorUndergraduate Student – Animal Science Major, UC Davis College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Ruby Victoria is the Vice President of Aggie Ambassadors and a fourth year Animal Science major. Aggie Ambassadors is a student leadership organization through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that provides students with the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills by participating in student panels, college workshops, and conducting tours around campus.

﻿Nicole FernandezAggie AmbassadorUndergraduate Student – Animal Science Major, UC Davis College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Nicole Fernandez is the Outreach Coordinator for Aggie Ambassadors and a third year Animal Science major who is actively involved at the UCD Pastured Poultry Farm. Aggie Ambassadors is a student leadership organization through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that provides students with the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills by participating in student panels, college workshops, and conducting tours around campus.

﻿Funke AderonmuUndergraduate Students; American Association of University Women at UC Davis Funke Aderonmu is the finance chair of AAUW at UC Davis and a fourth year International Relations and Economics major. AAUW at UC Davis is an on-campus student organization. Our mission is to advocate and support womxn's advancement through the college campus and beyond in fundamental educational, economic, societal, and political issues.

﻿Marlene AmadorUndergraduate Students; American Association of University Women at UC DavisMarlene Amador is the secretary of AAUW at UC Davis and a communications major, chemistry and writing minor. AAUW at UC Davis is an on-campus student organization. Our mission is to advocate and support womxn's advancement through the college campus and beyond in fundamental educational, economic, societal, and political issues.

﻿Annie ChenUndergraduate Students; American Association of University Women at UC DavisAnnie Chen is the publicity chair of AAUW at UC Davis and a third year environmental science and management major. She believes that everyone must think like a scientist: be well-informed and have a critical mindset. AAUW at UC Davis is an on-campus student organization. Our mission is to advocate and support womxn's advancement through the college campus and beyond in fundamental educational, economic, societal, and political issues.

﻿Maureen NjugunaUndergraduate Students; American Association of University Women at UC DavisMaureen Njuguna is the president of AAUW at UC Davis and a chemical engineering major. She is that person in the grocery store aisle comparing and looking up the ingredients of three similar brands of toothpaste, while carrying eight other items in their hands. "Some call me indecisive. I like to be informed." AAUW at UC Davis is an on-campus student organization. Our mission is to advocate and support womxn's advancement through the college campus and beyond in fundamental educational, economic, societal, and political issues.

﻿Michelle RiveraUndergraduate Students; American Association of University Women at UC DavisMichelle Rivera is the logistics chair of AAUW at UC Davis and a fourth year International Relations major with an emphasis in Peace and Security Studies in the Middle East and Africa. AAUW at UC Davis is an on-campus student organization. Our mission is to advocate and support womxn's advancement through the college campus and beyond in fundamental educational, economic, societal, and political issues.

﻿﻿Tessa OatesTrained Moderator; Undergraduate Student – Religious Studies Major and Human Rights Minor, Sustained Dialogue at UC Davis I am a second year undergraduate student studying Religion and Human Rights and hoping to pursue a graduate degree in Educational Leadership. As a trained moderator and an officer for the Sustained Dialogue student organization, I’m particularly interested in exploring how Dialogue and other thoughtfully constructed communication spaces can allow humans to better listen to, think about, and understand other people’s perspectives and life experiences. I’m especially fascinated by the way storytelling about personal experiences can create a shared feeling of trust and compassion among a group. Some other topics that interest me include nonviolent communication and though, self-appreciation and mental wellness, and conflict resolution techniques.

﻿Jenine S. JenkinsConsultant, Business Coach, Public Speaker; J. Smith & Co. A graduate of Kent State University, Jenine is an HR Professional with over 13 years of on the experience. Currently a Consultant, Business Coach and public speaker, she has worked her way up in the Human Resources field starting out as an HR Administrative Assistant working her way up to ultimately lead HR Teams in local Fortune 100 companies and Non-Profit organizations. In these positions she managed teams and worked with high level organizational leaders to create successful high performing teams. Mrs. Smith is no stranger to audiences as she has presented on topics such as interviewing skills, dressing for an interview on a budget, active listening and other pertinent leadership and personal development topics. Her approachable style combined with her expertise as an HR Professional and her understanding of human nature, allows her to connect authentically to any audience. Jenine is also the founder of J. Smith & Company, a woman owned small business. Based in Sacramento, CA, J. Smith & Co can most accurately be defined as an “HR Concierge” providing services to small and medium sized organizations in all aspects of Human Resources. For fun, Jenine enjoys running and is currently training to run a marathon later this year!

SESSION 3 | 2:50 - 4:05

﻿Kristen DeesDirector, Center for Student Involvement| Dr. Kristin Dees is the Director of the Center for Student Involvement at UC Davis. Her responsibilities include administrative oversight, support and liaison with other campus departments. Center for Student Involvement provides leadership consultation and training for registered student organizations, and large scale programs. Kristin's passion and research area is leadership development and mentorship in first-generation students. Kristin received her Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Christian University, her Master’s Degree in Education specializing in College Student Services Administration from Oregon State University, and her Doctorate in Educations Leadership from California Lutheran University.

﻿Austin TarumotoOrganizer; Undergraduate Student – Global Disease Biology Major|Asian/Pacific-Islander Queers Austin is a queer, genderqueer Pilipinx and Japanese femme student. Austin uses they/them/theirs and he/him/his pronouns. They are studying Global Disease Biology and Community Development. They are currently one of the organizers for Asian and/or Pacific Islander Queers at UC Davis and a peer educator with the Cross Cultural Center.

﻿Kelli SholerUndergraduate Advisor, Anthropology and Sociology Kelli Sholer, M.S is currently an undergraduate advisor at UC Davis in the Anthropology and Sociology departments and has 8 years of academic advising experience at UC Davis. She received her Master’s degree in Counseling with a specialization in career counseling and generally uses approaches such as happenstance learning theory or integrative life planning in her work with students. She has specific enthusiasm for helping students navigate through their career exploration process and facilitates a 2 unit course that helps students reflect on their career development process. Kelli embraces self-care through going to musicals, concerts, and trying new restaurants with her husband.

﻿Corrine HawesStudent Leadership Program Coordinator, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Originally from Connecticut, Corrine Hawes went to University of Rhode Island for a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a minor in leadership. She really wanted to do broadcasting and become a superstar but then was distracted by Student Affairs after her experience as an orientation leader. This experience led Corrine to serving as an AmeriCorps*VISTA for one year and then attending the University of Connecticut for her masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs. While at UConn, Corrine’s graduate assistantship was in First Year Programs and Learning Communities. She has always been drawn to the field of leadership which led to her next position as a Leadership Coach in the Leadership and Service Center at the University of South Carolina. Her primary role was to provide leadership development to student employees both on and off campus. Corrine came to UC Davis in 2015 to work peer advising in Student Housing, and transitioned into her current role as Student Leadership Program Coordinator in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in July of 2016.

﻿Christie NavarroDirector, Center for Leadership Learning Christie Navarro is the Director for the Center for Leadership Learning. Christie is very passionate about leadership education and the evolving discipline of leadership studies. Prior to her tenure at UC Davis, Christie served as the California state representative for the college admission testing organization ACT, served as a regional outreach coordinator for UC Merced Early Academic Outreach Program, and served as a case manager for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Tulare County. Christie earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Arts in Higher Educational Leadership from California State University, Sacramento. In additional to leadership, Christie is also very passionate about civic engagement, social justice, and developing a global mindset. She is an avid traveler and enjoys learning about other countries and their culture.

The 2017 conference is funded and made possible by the UC Davis Center for Leadership Learning and Undergraduate Education.

Thank you for your generous promotional donations:

Campus Recreation and Unions

Center for Student Involvement

Cross Cultural Center

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

College of Biological Sciences

College of Engineering

College of Letters and Science

Thank you to the conference planning committee for their dedication and hard work: